Infinite Game Publishing (IGP) and Piranha Games announced today that after a decade of fan anticipation for a new MechWarrior game, MechWarrior Online has entered Open Beta. Mech combat has finally returned to millions of both veteran and new MechWarrior players at www.mwomercs.com. The highly anticipated and hotly previewed MechWarrior Online puts players in command of the most powerful war machine to ever walk the battlefield, the mighty BattleMech™. Already widely embraced by gamers in Closed Beta, its successful Founder’s Program achieved more than $5 million in sales since July.

“After a brief delay, we are very excited to open up the game and look forward to continuing to expand the Inner Sphere to both new players and our loyal fans. They have offered critical and immediate feedback, helping make MechWarrior Online the game it is today,” said Russ Bullock, president of Piranha Games.

Bullock continued, “We’re excited to enter this phase of development with our publishing partner, Infinite Games Publishing. Working together we have laid the groundwork for a full pipeline of content between now and our official launch early next year, and beyond.”

Set in the year 3049 during the early stages of a massive interstellar war, MechWarrior Online puts you in command of a wide variety of devastatingly powerful Mechs. Customize each of your Mechs to suit your preferred battlefield role; upgrade systems, replace weapons and tweak armor with near endless options.

Yeah, it's incomplete, but then, so is Planetside 2, so was Blacklight, I can keep going...and they all want money up front.

Don't think it's just PGI doing this, they had profitable examples to go on, so don't act like there's still a CompUSA with boxed games to compare it to.

That said, I was a closed tester, and I was one of those vehemently against going Open at this point. In terms of a complete gaming experience, or at least the one they promised us...it's sadly behind in development.

It isn't however, what Shataan makes it out to be, he whined there, and refused to accept some advice...and still acts like he did something courageous by stomping his feet and getting his money back.

I have an elite founder pack, and have zero problems getting what I want in game using CBills(ingame earned currency). It's not a money pit unless you spend MC like a retard on crack. The new Hero mech so far, is the only bad value they have put forth if you are into this sort of game(WoT fans know what I'm talking about).

Just try it yourself, yes trial mechs kind of suck if you can't pilot well, but I have to say, the first thing I did on Open Beta wipe, was to use them to build a bankroll, and they work for that if you aren't a moron.

Find a group to play with, get organized now, as the match maker is putrid and will be fixed soon, but a damn shame for an open beta, I will agree with that.

true.. and it doesn't help smaller mechs can walk through bigger mechs... I know it is just temporary, but it is a series of bad impressions for the game for me, and it really surprised me to see the game in this state.. this isn't anywhere near ready for open beta.. imo.

I can't believe I am saying this, but months of BF3 playing on ping below 20 have made me unable to cope with this kind of lag (that is the ping level where the netcode of BF3 beings to truly shine). You are not shooting at mechs here, you are trying to find where the server thinks the mech is, which is not where it is locally.. awesome. Worse, because weapons work the same way, if you have high ping you can end up shooting in a direction you are not even aiming, now that is unique..

In BF3 when you see locally and shoot at something you see, it is valid no matter whether the server saw it, what is locally computed counts. This is how sometimes (in highish ping situations) dual kills can happen and it makes cheat security a pain in the ass. But this netcode would be absolutely mandatory for a slower yet more accuracy requiring game like this. Where it is absolutely vital that you can aim properly and accurately no matter what ping the opponent has.

This game needs dedicated servers and a better netcode. Then maybe, it could be fun as a diversion

Turglar wrote on Oct 30, 2012, 08:12:Of course there is one "beta" apologist in every thread. Considering anyone can download and play, they're taking money, and there will be no more wipes, it's no longer beta, no matter what they label it or how incomplete it is.

This. The quality is definitely beta, but the game is by all counts released. Taking money, no wipes, and big promotions for going "beta" are sure fire signs it's a shameless, rushed money grab for a currently inferior product designed as a triple-A MechWarrior game.

I don't particularly have a problem with their business model, since business is business, but I personally believe they should've used the $5 million they raised to put a bit more polish on the game (besides flashy graphics). Some good, honest QA can go a LONG way as long as the team is willing to be realistic about their product's flaws.

eRe4s3r wrote on Oct 30, 2012, 04:43:Ah so that's why... ;/ Not much of a open beta then.. although what I saw looked fun, if everyone had pings around 50 or less.... shooting at jenners running at high speed when they have a ping of 300 is like trying to hit a snail that's falling from space at terminal velocity with a catapult...

I think when the indicator turns red it's definitely a hit (that amount of hit detection works, anyway). Gotta lag-lead like games before Valve made client-side prediction the norm. That skill comes back surprisingly quickly.

Lights are pretty powerful at the moment because of that, if you can exploit their speed.

PHJF wrote on Oct 30, 2012, 09:17:I watched one video at random from the web site and it was... awful, in a word. Just awful. A couple of guys clumsily running about attempting to strafe each other, colliding and falling over (while the camera jumps to third person for no reason and starts clipping through world geometry), and then doing it all over again.

The "knock-down" functionality has been disabled with the last patch until it can be properly repaired. Unfortunately this has the effect of allowing small mechs to run through larger ones, so hopefully they turn it back on soon.

If you're hoping for a more simulation-like game, you'll be disappointed. It's even more arcade and dumbed down than MW4. It's nowhere near ready to be taking people's money, either, but they are doing it anyway.

I watched one video at random from the web site and it was... awful, in a word. Just awful. A couple of guys clumsily running about attempting to strafe each other, colliding and falling over (while the camera jumps to third person for no reason and starts clipping through world geometry), and then doing it all over again.

Of course there is one "beta" apologist in every thread. Considering anyone can download and play, they're taking money, and there will be no more wipes, it's no longer beta, no matter what they label it or how incomplete it is.

If the devs think anyone besides big gaming media sites that they pay will give them the benefit of the doubt on their "open beta" they are naive to say the least.

I'm enjoying it for now, but I've been waiting for a new MW game for a long time.

LOL. Nothing is funnier to me than reading people complain about pings and problems... IN A BETA. You might look into what a beta is and send your complaints to the people who are looking for your feedback.

P.S: I donated and was in private beta and just found it boring. Very arcadish and just does not have the feeling of being in a mech and I wouldn't mind some single player.

"If you're hoping for a more simulation-like game, you'll be disappointed. It's even more arcade and dumbed down than MW4."

If you are anything like ME, and were looking for something more along the lines of a Mechwarrior 3 type piloting experience, MWO in the cockpit and visually delivers. It really does sim the Mechwarrior incockpit piloting experience. I`d rank it the best ever done in this regard on the PC.

Where it loses me is how bloated the Mechbay is, with the money system implimented. I just wanted Mechwarrior 3 incockpit piloting experience, with a Next Gen visuals delivery. I didn`t find it Arcadey. That would be Mechwartrior 4 or Hawken.

I could be wrong, but my impression is that the MWO F2P thing, is really Free To Try. And they are so intent on making the almighty buck, that to me it looks like it is gonna be more or less a Money Pit. I bought the Founders, so that was 120.00. And you`d think that`d be enough for a game with clunky mp features, no sp campaign etc. But nope. The buck doesn`t stop there. Literally.

Long story short, I got my Refund. And will wait it out for something more to my liking. Maybe the Heavy Gear Remake will bebigger on game, and a tad less ambitious to fill its pockets.

If you're hoping for a more simulation-like game, you'll be disappointed. It's even more arcade and dumbed down than MW4. It's nowhere near ready to be taking people's money, either, but they are doing it anyway.

Ah so that's why... ;/ Not much of a open beta then.. although what I saw looked fun, if everyone had pings around 50 or less.... shooting at jenners running at high speed when they have a ping of 300 is like trying to hit a snail that's falling from space at terminal velocity with a catapult...

I would love to try out the open beta, but I can't remember the password I signed up with 6 months ago, and when I click the Forgot Password link on their website I get a helpful popup telling me to "Please enter your password before clicking the forgot password link".

If the game is as well thought out as the website, we may be in trouble here.